Chapter 38
‘Concerned? Of course, I am. It took considerable effort to reduce Landon to a vegetable. How could I allow him to father a child?’
Henry’s expression shifted, becoming inscrutable, and ultimately hardened into a fierce glare.
“Mr. Foster, what other suggestions do you have? I have to destroy Amelia, and I need your help.”
The following day, an invitation was sent to the CEO’s office of Kingsley Group.
The Young family, acquaintance of the Kingsley family, was hosting a banquet and had invited Amelia to attend on Landon’s behalf.
In her last life, Amelia had frequented many such events and was well-versed in their protocols. She brought Aaron along after work.
Devon’s banquet was held at a restaurant known for its high-end, antique, and elegant ambiance.
Amelia had attended numerous banquets in her last life, but this was her first return to this particular place.
“Mr. Young hails from Lunova, makes his fortune gambling on stone, and has a fondness for calligraphy and painting…” Aaron recited the host’s preferences as they walked. Amelia jotted down the information silently.
“Mrs. Kingsley, you are here.” Devon greeted her with a kind expression, but Amelia was cautious behind his overly keen gaze.
“Hello, Mr. Young,” Amelia responded with a smile.
“How is Landon recently?” Devon inquired.
Amelia appeared concerned. “Still the same.”
“That must be quite a tough task for you.” Devon sympathized. “I’ve heard you’ve been managing Kingsley Group as effectively as Landon did when he was well.”
“Thanks for your recognition.”
Amelia humbly attributed her success to others. “This is actually my first hands-on experience. It’s all thanks to the suggestions from shareholders and senior management.”
Devon was taken aback. “You’ve never managed a company before?”
“No.” Amelia shook her head gently. “Although I studied financial management in college, I never worked in the family business.”
Devon was even more impressed. “Mrs. Kingsley, you are gifted and have a promising future ahead of you.”
“Thank you, Devon, for your compliment,” Amelia replied with a graceful smile.
There were not many guests today, just over a dozen business magnates.
Seeing how much Devon valued Amelia, they all approached to offer their toasts.
“Mrs. Kingsley has had enough to drink. Please allow me to take this one for her,” Aaron interjected, swiftly standing up to shield Amelia from the incoming drinks.
Naturally, those men wouldn’t press a woman further, especially considering the Kingsley family’s influence.
Amelia exhaled softly, relieved. ‘With so many toasts, they would have gotten me drunk.’
Fortunately, Aaron’s presence commanded respect, and everyone accommodated him.
Outside the main hall, Henry observed the scene with a brooding expression, his suspicions deepening.
‘If she’s not drinking at all, it means she is either pregnant or planning to be. I will never permit her to bear a child and complicate matters further.’
“Elizabeth, it’s your turn,” Henry whispered.
The woman named Elizabeth, in her fifties yet still charming, gave Henry a conspiratorial wink and said, “No problem.”
Elizabeth, holding her wine, sauntered over to Amelia’s side. “Hey there, Mrs. Kingsley, you’re absolutely stunning.”
“And you are…” Amelia began.
“I’m Elizabeth Young, though a bit older than you. Just call me Beth.” Elizabeth introduced herself with a flirtatious smile. Henry stood outside the hall, staring blankly.
Aaron quickly whispered aside, “She’s Devon’s favorite younger daughter.”
“Beth, nice to meet you,” Amelia replied, rising and substituting her wine with coffee, preparing to clink glasses with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth glanced at her glass, displeased. “Mrs. Kingsley, why won’t you have a drink with me?”
“No, it’s just that I can’t drink…” Amelia explained.
“How serious could one drink be?” Elizabeth challenged, handing her wine to Amelia and pouring another for herself from the table. “You can drink whatever you like with those men, but with me, you must take one.”
“Beth, I promised my family I wouldn’t drink,” Amelia stated.
“Come on, are you prepping for pregnancy? Or are you already pregnant?” Elizabeth laughed loudly, causing everyone to join in.
Her teasing insinuations made everyone exchange knowing glances, and when they looked at Amelia again, their gazes were tinged with speculation.
‘Landon is a vegetable. How can they have a child? Unless…’
The guests exchanged glances with one another, donning expressions of veiled amusement when they looked back at Amelia.
‘Did the once pure and beautiful daughter of the Edwards family ride a man? It was intriguing, but sadly, Landon was oblivious to it. If only it were us…’
The ambiguous smiles from the crowd made Amelia deeply uncomfortable.
However, she was at the Young family’s banquet, and she couldn’t afford to lose her temper.
After all, it was just a glass of wine. “Alright. Since you insist, I’ll have a drink with you, Beth,” Amelia said, raising her glass, about to take a sip.
From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure outside the hall. Her gaze flickered, and she placed the wine glass back on the table.
“What’s the matter?” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, her smile belying her evident displeasure. The shift in Elizabeth’s expression further convinced Amelia that something was wrong with the wine.
She smiled faintly and said, “I’ll have some soup first to settle my stomach.”
“What?” Elizabeth laughed derisively. “Who from a noble family can’t drink? You’re quite the exception.”
“I’ve been under strict discipline since I was young,” Amelia replied while having some mushroom soup.
The two women engaged in a prolonged exchange over a glass of wine, which was rather tedious. The guests found it boring, continuing with their meals and conversations.
Amelia caught Aaron’s eye, and he leaned over to Elizabeth, saying, “Ms. Young, when did you return to Noravar? Mr. Kingsley mentioned the other day that she had a stone she wanted you to appraise…”
Stone gambling was Elizabeth’s pride and joy, and she began discussing it with Aaron.
Seizing the distraction, Amelia initiated the toast again. “Beth, let’s drink.”
“Cheers,” Elizabeth echoed, lifting her glass as well.
Amelia took a small sip, intending to set her glass down, but Elizabeth insisted, “It’s nearly empty. You can’t just take a sip when we clink glasses.”
“Well…” Amelia looked troubled.
“Just finish it. One glass won’t get you drunk,” Elizabeth coaxed, tapping her glass again.
Amelia then feigned embarrassment and complied.
Elizabeth smiled contentedly and clasped Amelia’s hand. “Is this your first time here? Come on, let me show you around, away from these men.”
“Alright, thank you, Beth.”
As Amelia followed Elizabeth out, Henry had vanished from outside the hall. Amelia, not taking any chances, signaled to Aaron, who quietly followed behind.
“Mrs. Kingsley, I heard your marriage to Landon was quite a whirlwind affair. You hardly knew each other before. Is that true?” Elizabeth said.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, why did you decide to marry him? I heard you had a fiancé. What was his name?”
“It was merely a verbal agreement between our families. It’s not serious.”
Elizabeth had always enjoyed dominating conversations, and Amelia, not one to be easily ruffled, answered whatever Elizabeth asked.
With so little resistance, Elizabeth quickly grew bored.
‘Well, Amelia is not as awesome as they said. She’s merely leveraging the Kingsley family’s reputation.’
After a while, the two arrived behind a rockery by a pond.
“I’m tired from all this walking. Let’s have some rest,” Elizabeth suggested.
“Of course,” Amelia nodded in agreement.
They sat beneath the rockery to take a rest. It was eerily quiet here, not even an attendant passing by.
The lush, fine-leafed fig trees next to the rockery cast a massive shadow that enveloped them. As the sun moved westward, the light dimmed. Amelia silently calculated the time in her heart.
Besides Henry, Zachary had been spotted outside the hall earlier. She wondered who would show up next…Henry or Zachary?
“It’s so hot,” Elizabeth complained all of a sudden, her face flushed as she tugged at her collar.
Amelia suddenly became warmhearted. “Beth, you must be thirsty. Let me get you some water.”